The moonlight was cold as Orochimaru moved silently through a secluded forest in Konoha.

His expression was calm, as though his recent encounter with that mysterious figure had left no mark on him.

But inwardly, he was anything but calm.

He could clearly sense that his current situation had become troublesome.

That clash had obviously drawn attention—especially from Hikaru.

With the two of them having fought in a place like that, and with Hikaru having already captured that test subject, Orochimaru did not believe for a moment that the boy would let the matter rest.

And reality had already proven it.

Even though he could not see anyone around him, he could feel it clearly enough—he was being watched.

Whoever was tailing him had been trained exceptionally well. They had not revealed a single flaw.

But Orochimaru was Orochimaru. A shinobi like him could never fail to notice such things.

He simply chose not to expose it.

Most likely, those people came from ANBU.

Other than ANBU, he could not think of anyone else bold enough to do this.

The truth was that ANBU was far more complicated than most people imagined.

Or rather—

the entire situation inside Konoha was already far more complicated than most people realized.

Still, Orochimaru did not dwell on it too much.

Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Hikaru had already stimulated him too deeply.

He truly had begun to feel that Konoha could no longer give him what he wanted.

His dream as a Konoha shinobi had died more than a year ago, the moment Namikaze Minato officially became the Fourth Hokage.

Now, the desire burning inside him was something greater—something far more sublime.

At least, that was how he saw it.

He disliked being bound, but at the same time, he had no intention of openly turning against Hiruzen. Not yet.

"At the very least, I need to understand the power of the Senju... enough to make those people wary of me."

As Orochimaru walked, he continued sorting through his thoughts.

That unexpected battle with Hikaru—more precisely, with the Nine-Tails-powered figure—had carved an extremely deep scar into his mind.

Since he had already suffered such a crushing loss once, he naturally had to find a way to respond.

In Orochimaru’s mind, since those people were wary of Wood Release—wary of Senju Hikaru’s power—then there were only a few routes he could take.

The first was the simplest:

win Senju Hikaru over.

If he could reach some sort of agreement and gain Hikaru’s protection, that would be the fastest and most effective solution.

The second was much harder:

uncover the secrets of Wood Release himself.

If he could do that, then perhaps he would eventually gain the strength to deal with those people on his own.

That path was extraordinarily difficult—difficult enough that he might never succeed in this lifetime.

But Orochimaru was still Orochimaru.

No matter how impossible something looked, he would never give up easily.

And there was also a third possibility:

Edo Tensei.

Orochimaru did not believe Hikaru’s Wood Release could compare to the First Hokage’s.

If he could summon the First Hokage with Edo Tensei, that alone might become the most effective shield he could possess.

In his view, the first option—relying on Hikaru’s protection—was the least reliable.

From a political standpoint, they were practically natural enemies.

Otherwise, why would ANBU be investigating him now?

And the things he himself had done were destined to anger Hikaru sooner or later. If that happened, he would be in real danger.

That meant there were really only two viable paths left to him.

And, conveniently, those two paths did not conflict with one another at all.

He could continue researching Wood Release while also studying Edo Tensei.

Or he could focus first on perfecting Edo Tensei, then use the First Hokage as the key to better understanding Wood Release.

Both were acceptable.

"Still... my mastery of Edo Tensei isn’t sufficient yet. It may not achieve what I need."

"And even if I summoned someone, they might not obey me completely. They might reveal nothing."

"Then there are the control issues... the materials..."

"It seems my primary focus still has to remain on the cells and Wood Release research. Edo Tensei comes second."

After thinking it through for a moment, Orochimaru reached the answer he wanted.

In truth, this was not the first time he had gone over this problem.

Ever since that encounter with Hikaru in the Nine-Tails state, he had been repeating this line of thought over and over.

That battle had left a crushing impression on him.

Speed, strength, perception—

a complete, overwhelming suppression in every category.

No matter what he did, it had all looked like child’s play in the other man’s eyes.

And to make matters worse, that person had looked down on him the entire time—calmly, indifferently, as though deciding whether to let him live or die on a whim.

That feeling...

was infuriating.

"Orochimaru-sama."

As Orochimaru stepped into the underground laboratory, the ROOT shinobi stationed there immediately inclined his head.

Orochimaru only gave him a passing glance and said nothing.

He knew these were likely newly recruited ROOT members—still closer to probationary personnel than true elites, gathered together by Danzō after his removal from power.

After Danzō had been stripped of his position, his authority had shrunk drastically.

Even so, the old man still had means.

At the very least, he could still assemble a new batch of subordinates willing to obey him.

But compared to the former ROOT operatives, these men were nowhere near the same standard—in either strength or discipline.

Thinking back on it, the real conflict between ROOT and ANBU seemed to have begun only after Hikaru started showing his true power within ANBU.

Even when Hikaru had still been only a minister, he had already personally killed a ROOT operative—Aburame Ryūma.

That had been a loyal, capable subordinate.

Orochimaru remembered him clearly enough.

But that man had already been dead for quite some time.

"ROOT really is getting worse and worse. I wonder whether it can ever recover to what it once was."

With that thought, Orochimaru stepped deeper into the lab.

But just then, a wave of chakra rippled faintly from above.

In an instant, every ROOT shinobi in the lab stiffened in alarm and rushed outside.

Orochimaru quietly observed their reaction, his brows drawing together.

Still, he said nothing.

He simply stood there and waited.

He wanted the outcome to confirm his own suspicions.

Before long, the disturbance subsided, and one of the ROOT shinobi hurried back to him.

"Orochimaru-sama, it seems to have been ANBU," the man reported in a low voice, kneeling. "But they were very cautious. They’ve already withdrawn. Should we shut this place down?"

Orochimaru suddenly laughed.

"Whether you close it or not has no meaning anymore."

Then he flicked the man a cold glance.

"Unless you intend not to report this to Danzō. Is that possible?"

"Apologies, Orochimaru-sama," the ROOT shinobi answered without raising his head. "I am Danzō-sama’s subordinate. I cannot conceal anything from him."

"Exactly."

Orochimaru smiled carelessly.

"So shutting this place down changes nothing."

He turned and began to walk away.

"Go on. Report it to Danzō properly."

With that, he said nothing further.

Because by now, he had already guessed the likely outcome.

Orochimaru had once come within reach of becoming Hokage.

His instincts, his judgment, and his logic had never been weak.

And Hikaru—though young—was someone who had risen to become ANBU Minister.

Orochimaru would never mistake someone like that for a simple opponent.

If Hikaru was not simple, then every move he made would naturally have a purpose.

So, putting himself in Hikaru’s place, the answer became obvious:

If he had an enemy like Danzō, the first thing he would do was analyze Danzō’s personality and methods.

And with ANBU’s information network, that was easy.

Once Danzō’s character was understood, all it took was pushing the right pressure points and letting chaos bloom from within.

After all, Orochimaru had never believed that the rumors about himself from over a year ago had appeared naturally.

Even back then, he had already suspected manipulation.

He simply never bothered to deny or confirm anything.

If he had done something, then he had done it.

If he had not, then he had not.

He would never stoop to pleading innocence.

And now, Hikaru was likely trying to use the same principle again—leveraging Danzō’s suspicious, stubborn, and deeply controlling nature.

After all, Hikaru held the test subject.

And Danzō was tied to that subject no matter what.

If Danzō wanted to avoid being dragged down with it, there was only one obvious path left:

let the old rumors spread again.

Only this time, the scale would be even larger.

Because Danzō had already been removed from office.

There was no way for him to intervene openly now.

And once everything spiraled...

"Quite the elegant move," Orochimaru murmured, a cold, amused smile curving his lips. "Even if I said nothing, you would still make the rumors spread on their own."

At that thought, his gaze shifted briefly toward the ROOT shinobi from before.

The smile on his lips deepened.

"It’s done?"

Early the next morning, Hikaru looked at Kakashi standing before him and gave an approving nod.

Kakashi’s efficiency had never been in doubt.

And besides, the task itself had not been difficult.

All they had needed to do was attract ROOT’s—and Orochimaru’s—attention, then retreat cleanly.

For experienced ANBU operatives, that was routine work.

Ordinarily, something like this would not have required Kakashi to report in personally.

But this was not the only matter Kakashi needed to discuss.

Hikaru flicked his hand lightly.

At once, every ANBU operative hidden throughout the office withdrew.

The Internal Affairs Division was expanding too, though for the moment Hikaru had only recruited a handful of Senju shinobi into it.

In the future, he could open it to other clans.

But for now, what he needed was absolute loyalty.

Especially during this period, while ANBU itself was still being rebuilt and expanded.

Once the office was clear, Hikaru asked quietly, "And? Any irregular movement from him?"

Kakashi answered at once, his expression colder than usual.

"No, Minister."

"I kept watching him in secret the entire time."

"He hesitated a few times, but in the end he didn’t make any move."

"Of course, I can’t guarantee with complete certainty that he didn’t use some more concealed method."

Hikaru nodded.

That was an objective report.

And it made sense.

After all, the man Kakashi had been watching was Antelope.

Even though Hikaru had no intention of moving against Antelope lightly—and had already told Ayame that this would be a test, a test of whether Antelope could be used—he was not naive enough to trust him freely.

Antelope’s political stance was far too vague.

If handled carelessly, he could become a problem.

So this surveillance had been necessary.

And in a sense, it was part of the test too.

"I understand."

After thinking for a moment, Hikaru smiled.

"By the way, I heard you haven’t taken leave in quite some time. Is that right?"

"Minister!" Kakashi immediately raised his head. "This is a critical period for ANBU. I—"

"You’re on leave now. Approved by me. No need to call me Minister."

Hikaru cut him off with a smile.

"Work has to have rhythm. If you keep pushing until your body and mind break, that’s pointless."

As he spoke, Hikaru stood, walked over to Kakashi, and casually removed the ANBU mask from his face.

For a moment, Kakashi looked entirely at a loss.

Fortunately, the cloth mask covering his lower face kept him from looking too awkward.

Hikaru placed the ANBU mask directly into Kakashi’s hands, then said with a calm smile,

"And if you stay in ANBU too long, it’ll start changing you."

"Darkness needs light to drive it away."

"You need a normal environment for a while."

"I don’t want my friend to become someone else because of the things I’ve asked him to do."

"If that happened, I wouldn’t forgive myself."

"And neither would the Fourth Hokage."

"Or the friends waiting in the Pure Land."

Kakashi fell silent.

Then, after a long moment, his eyes curved into crescents.

"I understand, Hikaru-taichō."

"Then I’ll go rest."

"Go."

Hikaru nodded with a smile.

"And spend some time with your old classmates while you’re at it."

"Relax."

"Find those ordinary, peaceful things again."

"Because once you’ve rested enough, you’re coming back to even more work."

"Yes, minister."

Kakashi smiled, took the mask, and left the office.

Work needed balance.

That was not just something Hikaru said to Kakashi.

It was something he believed for himself as well.

A minister who ran himself into the ground was a fool.

And right now, Hikaru had something far more important to deal with—

his own growth.

Leaving behind a shadow clone infused with a trace of Nine-Tails chakra, Hikaru quietly slipped out of the office and used Flying Thunder God to leave the village.

A few moments later, he appeared in a dense forest outside Konoha.

This was the same remote place where he had planted the tree that contained Obito’s arm.

He never dared do such things inside the village.

Too risky.

This forest was isolated, far enough from Konoha to be safe, but still within the range of his Flying Thunder God perception.

And most importantly, almost no one ever came this way.

Hikaru looked at the towering tree before him and raised a brow.

Obito’s arm had been sealed inside it for a long time now.

For months, nothing had happened.

At one point, Hikaru had genuinely begun to suspect the whole thing had failed.

But starting about a month ago, the tree had begun radiating a strange chakra.

It was unlike anything Hikaru had sensed before.

Not dangerous—

just... strange.

And stranger still, it had begun drawing animals toward it.

That alone had put Hikaru on guard.

He had even used the little lizard to question some of the nearby creatures.

And though their answers were vague, they were consistent:

There was some peculiar force inside the tree—

something that made them want to come closer.

Any shinobi worth his salt remained wary of abnormalities.

If animals could be drawn in, then humans could be as well.

Yet unlike the animals, Hikaru himself only felt the faintest pull.

It was not Yang Release-level vitality.

As someone who could already manipulate life force, Hikaru understood life energy very well.

This was not that.

At most, it was a weak, subtle attraction.

Nothing more.

So he had no choice but to wait.

By now, the chakra radiating from the tree had become denser and denser.

Whatever was forming inside it...

it probably would not be much longer.

And for some reason, Hikaru had an instinctive feeling—

whatever emerged from it would be of enormous help to him.

He turned and looked at the other tree nearby.

That one contained the newly obtained flesh chunks from Hashirama Senju.

Unfortunately, that tree had shown no reaction at all.

Hikaru had only two guesses for that.

Either:

He had already extracted enough from Hashirama’s power that further growth was no longer possible.

Or:

Just like Obito’s arm, it simply required much more time to ferment and evolve.

Until he had a definitive answer, all he could do was wait.

The system offered him no guidance.

It had no intelligence.

And honestly, Hikaru preferred it that way.

Because if the system did have intelligence...

then one day it might try to control him.

He had read far too many stories in his previous life to ignore that possibility.

If he ever truly became enemies with the system, then everything it had given him might be taken back.

That outcome was unimaginable.

A system with no ego—

one that simply functioned mechanically, as it always had since he first obtained it—

was far safer.

"It’s probably not today."

Hikaru shook his head and started to leave.

From the night he had obtained Obito’s arm during the Nine-Tails attack...

to the months afterward, when he stole Hashirama’s flesh...

Konoha had already quietly entered Year 48.

Summer winds were beginning to blow.

He had not forgotten the storms of Year 47.

But he also found himself looking forward to Year 48.

Nothing in canon described this year.

Which, for Hikaru, was a good thing.

He still had plans for Orochimaru.

He still intended to force Orochimaru out of Konoha before the year was over.

That much had already been decided.

But just as he was about to leave—

Hikaru suddenly froze.

The tree that had been steadily radiating strange chakra...

had abruptly gone still.

Completely still.

Hikaru turned sharply.

"Stopped?"

The chakra he had been about to mobilize immediately died down.

A second later, he was already walking back.

His eyes locked onto the tree that contained Obito’s arm.

Now it looked utterly ordinary.

A normal giant tree.

Nothing more.

If Hikaru had to guess, it meant the tree had finally finished absorbing the White Zetsu power inside that arm.

He pressed a hand against the trunk.

And in that instant—

the system reacted.

The answer it gave him left Hikaru completely stunned.

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